Home & Garden Tips

The muggy heat makes working in the landscape less appealing than it was in the spring. But insect, disease and other plant problems need attending to. To keep your landscape looking its best, you should frequently visit it to keep an eye on things. This is what you need to do to detect problems before they get too big. A trowel, a white index card and perhaps a hand pruner will help you with your landscape detective work.

You should first visit your annuals and perennials. These plants usually need the most immediate attention. Are they healthy, green and strong or spindly, yellow and weak? Perhaps they need a little fertilizer. Annuals, in particular, benefit from lighter, frequent applications.

You should be careful to look at the plants closely. Yellowing of these plants can also mean too much water. Dig down a little to see how wet the soil is and how well it's draining. Heavy, wet soils can play havoc on many landscape plants and may be hard to remedy without renovating the bed.

Look at the blooms of these plants. Deadheading, or removing spent flowers, will help keep them blooming all summer. Check the blooms, too, for signs of insects or disease. Look carefully at the foliage on all plants. Are the leaves spotted or riddled with holes?

Leaf spots can be caused by insects or disease. Usually, if it's a disease, a yellow or purple halo will be around the dark spot. Sometimes, improving the air circulation by lightly pruning will improve a plant's health.

Insect damage may appear as solid, blackish-brown spots, chewed areas or specked leaves. Be sure to look at the undersides of the leaves. Many insects will feed and hide there. Properly identifying the insects is the key in selecting the correct control. Remember, there are far more beneficial insects out there than bad guys.

Some insects are so tiny they're hard to see. This is where your white index card can help. If you see speckled or off colored foliage and suspect insects but can't see any, shake the leaves briskly over the index card. You may see tiny red specks called spider mites. Spider mites can build up heavy infestations quickly if conditions are right. To control these pests, use a product labeled for mite control.

Check azaleas for off-colored foliage. A common summer problem is lace bugs, which feed on the undersides of the leaves of azaleas and other plants. They have many generations of offspring, so keep a watch and control this one all summer.

Chewing damage on leaves often indicates another type of insect damage. This can be caused by many insects, including Japanese beetles, leaf beetles, snails and slugs. Once you know which culprit is munching on your plants, select the appropriate control. Insects are usually easier to kill when they're young than when they're mature.

Here at the Extension office we have special diagnostic tools and resources to help you solve almost any landscape problem. Better yet, bring in a fresh sample. While you're at the office, you can pick up a few of our many brochures on insect and disease control in the landscape.